Reflections in, on and round about…with a lot of cooking on the side
Next to the pea patch, we had a bed of broad beans. Broad (or fava) beans are another childhood memory: picking them during a sunny winter afternoon and then shelling them in front of the fire for supper. We had another bumper crop this year, I am delighted to say, so some are safely stored in … Continue reading Bountiful broad beans
I have mentioned that I have a love-hate relationship with brassicas, but I think that, at last, I'm growing up. I've had to because we grow them - a lot - and I've had to think of creative ways of dishing them up. In the last three or so months, we've had more broccoli, cauliflower and … Continue reading Getting brave with Brassicas
....parsley! I love parsley. I’m not happy until my garden grows herbs, especially parsley. And the challenge of parsley is that it's a slow grower and it can be temperamental. My mum also always had parsley in her garden - some of my earliest culinary memories are of being sent to pick parsley – usually … Continue reading A lovely bunch of….
Although the grape harvest in our valley seems to be later this year, autumn seems to have arrived early. Along with this, we have had a wonderful experience: a pair of swallows building a nest in preparation for the spring. Jack and Jill are Greater Striped Swallows, indigenous to Africa, and they summer south of Namibia, … Continue reading Autumn – preparing for spring (and winter!)
For the last year or so, I have been making and selling seasonal soups at our local pop-up market. A soup that I made on a whim, and which we enjoyed, didn't take off, so I didn't make it again. In my recollection, there had been no sales. Then, imagine my surprise, two Saturdays' ago, … Continue reading A twisted Vicheysoisse, among other things…